Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-06-18
CHAPTER XVII
THE BALANCE TURNS.

INC lnuJcS, LnaC, nelu OUT from lne pOuJ Us
bearer holds water In vessel, had the APP
pearance Of floating down tho darkness by
themselves, VIC came TO a stair which led into
She's anteroom, the same that Billah had
crept up upon all fours on the previous day
Hero ! would have bid the queen adieu, but
she would not.
'Nay," she said, "enter with me- o Holly,
for Of truth thy conversation pleaseth me-
Think, 0 Holly, for 1900 years have ] had
mono TO converse with save slaves and my own
thoughts; and though of oil this thinking
hath much wisdom come, and many secrets
been made plain, yet | am weary of my
thoughts and have come to loathe mine own
society, for surely the food that memory
gives to cat is bitter to the TASTE and it is only
with the teeth of hope that we can bear to
bite it. Now, though thy thoughts are green
and tender, as becometh one so young, yet
are they those of thinking brain, and in
truth thou dose bring back to my mind GER
tain Of those old philosophers with whom in
days bygone have disputed at Athens and
in Arabia for thou hast the same Grabbed air
and dusty look as though thou hadst passed
thy days in reading i'll writ Greek and been
stained dark with the CRIME Of manuscripts.
So draw the curtain, and sit here by my side,
and we will eat fruit and talk of pleasant
things. See, will again unyail to thee.
Thou hast brought it on thyself, o Holly
fairly have I warned thee, and thou shalt call
me beautiful, es oven those old philosophers
were wont to do. Fly upon them, forgetting
their philosophy
And without moro ado she stood up and
shook the white wrappings from her, and
came forth shining aud splendid like some
glittering snake when she has cast her
slough: ay, and fixed her wonderful eyes
| upon me-more deadly than any basilsk's--
and pierced me through and through with
their beauty, and sent her light laugh ringing
through the air like chimes of silver bells
A new mood was on her, and the very color
of her mind seemed to change beneath it. 1t
was no longer torture torn and hateful as
| had seen it when she was cursing her dead
rival by the leaping flames, no longer Jelly
terrible, as in the Judgment hall, no longer
rich and somber and splendid, like q Ty rian
cloth, as In the dwellings of the dead. No;
her mood low was that of Aphrodite
triumphing Life-radiant, ecstatic, won
derful-seemed to flow from her and around
her. Softly she laughed and sighed, and
tresses and their perfume filled the place; SHE
struck her little sandaled foot upon the flooI
and hummed a snatch of some old GreeB
epithalamiun. All the majesty was gone, Oh
did but Turk and family flicker through heI
laughing eyes, like lightning seen through
sunlight She had cast off the terror of the
leaping flame, the cold power of judgment
that was even now being done, and the wis,
sadness of the tombs-cast them off and pu
them behind her, like the white shroud sht
wore, and now stood out the incarnation O
lovely, tempting womanhood, made more per
fect-and in u way moro spiritual-than eve
woman was before.
"There, my Holly, sit there where tho,
csnst see me. II is by thy own wish, remem
Der; again I say, blame me not if thou dos
spend the rest of thy little span with such
sick pain at the heart that thou wouldst fail
have died before ever thy curious eyes WEI
set upon me. There, sit SO, and tell me, for i
truth am inclined for praises--tell me, am
not beautifula Nay, speak not so hastily
consider well the point; take me feature b.
feature, forgetting not my form, and m
hands and feet, and my hair, and the white
ness Of my skin, and then toll me truly has
thou ever known woman who in aught, ay
in .Mc little portion Of her beauty, in tn
curve Of an eyelash even, or the modelling q
ehell like ear, is justified to hold light bt
fare my loveliness ~
could stand it no longer. Then and Their
fell upon my knees before her, and told he
h q sad mixture of languages-for such me
nlents confuse the thoughts-that worshipe
her as meyer woman was worshiped, and tina
l would give my immortal soul to marry he
which at that time certainly would hav
done, and so, indeed, would any other mar
or all the race of men rolled into one. Fo
the moment she looked a little surprised an
then she began to laugh and clap her hands |
glee.
ooh, so soon, 0 Hollyw she said.
wondered how many minutes 1t would take {
bring thee to thy knees. have not seen
man kneel before mo for so many days, ant
believe me, to woman's heart the sight
sweet; ny, wisdom and length Of days Oak
not from that dear pleasure, which is on
sex's only right.
"What wouldst thoui-what wouldst thou
Thou dost not know what thou doest HAY
not told thee that am not for theeY / Low
but one and it is not thee. All, Holly, for a
thy wisdom-and in a way thou art wise
thou art but fool running after folly. Tho
wouldst look into mine eyes: thou woulds
Kiss met Well, il it pleaseth thee, look, an
she bent herself toward me and fixed her dar
and thrilling orbs upon my own; @ay, an
kiss, too, il thou wilt for, thanks DO given t
the scheme Of things, kisses leave no mark
except upon the heart But il thou dost kis:
tell thee Of a surety wilt thou cat out tn
heart for love OF me and diei" and she ben
yet farther toward me, till her soft hui
brushed my brow and her fragrant breat
played upon my face and made me faint an
weak. Then, of n sudden, even as | stretche
! out my arms to clasp, she Strengthened hei
solf and a quick change camo over bel
l Reaching out her hand she held it over m
head, and it seemed TO mo that somethin
, nowcd from it that chilled mo back to con
mon sense and u knowledge of propriety an
the domestic virtues.
= Enough OF this wantoa play sho sal,
with a touch Of sternness. Listen, Holl,
= Thou art a good and honest man, and fol
!. would spare thee; but, obi it is so hard for
i woman to be merciiul ! have said l am N
for thee, therefore Let thy thoughts pass !
se mo like an idle wind, aad tho dust OF &
q Imagination sink again into the aepths-we
II Of despair, il thou wilt Thoa. didst n
s---- : - - -----' - 49, 49,